South Korea vowed on Monday a stern response, and Japan threatened new sanctions, as the United Nations struggled to agree on whether to punish North Korea for its defiant weekend rocket launch.

"North Korea's reckless act that threatens regional and global security cannot be justified under any circumstances," said South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak said in a radio address, promising a "stern" response.

Japan's government will decide on Friday on new bilateral sanctions, Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura said, and Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone said Tokyo hoped the UN Security Council would agree a new resolution to condemn North Korea.

No UN accord

The Security Council adjourned on Sunday after three hours of closed-door consultations with no accord on a response to what Western members called a clear breach of UN resolutions. Its member states were to continue talks.

The United States said on Monday it wanted a strong response from the United Nations to condemn the test, but it hinted it need not involve a Security Council resolution.

"What's important is that we send a message to the North that this type of behavior is provocative, it cannot happen again, and that if it's interested in getting back into the good graces of the international community it needs to desist from this type of behavior and activity," State Department spokesperson Robert Wood told reporters.

When asked if the United States insisted on a resolution, Wood replied: "We want the strongest possible response that we can get in the Security Council. I'd just prefer to leave it at that."

'Immortal revolutionary songs'

North Korea announced on Sunday that a long-range rocket had placed into orbit a communications satellite which was beaming "immortal revolutionary songs" in praise of its former and current leaders, Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il.

Kim Jong-Il was present at the launch and "warmly encouraged" scientists and technicians before having his picture taken with them, state media said on Monday.

South Korea and the US military say a satellite never made it into space. A senior Russian military source also said there were no signs of a satellite.

Seoul, Washington and Tokyo, along with other nations, say the launch was a pretext to test a long-range Taepodong-2 missile in violation of UN resolutions.

A Western diplomat at the United Nations said US ambassador Susan Rice, backed by her British and French colleagues, pressed for "strong condemnation".

But Russia, China, Libya, Uganda and Vietnam called for restraint so as not to endanger six-nation talks on North Korea's nuclear disarmament.

"All countries concerned should show restraint and refrain from taking action that might lead to increased tension," China's UN ambassador Zhang Yesui told reporters on Sunday.

Violation of a UN resolution

"The use of ballistic missile technology is a clear violation of the resolution which prohibits missile-related activities," Rice noted in reference to Resolution 1718 passed after North Korean missile and nuclear tests in 2006.

The Western diplomat said the Security Council might take up a resolution or a non-binding statement that would reaffirm existing sanctions.

President Lee later on Monday called for China's support in dealing with North Korea, in a meeting with visiting Chinese Communist Party propaganda chief Li Changchun, Yonhap news agency reported.

Iran, which rejects Western suspicions that it is developing nuclear weapons, said on Monday the North's launch was justified, and denied any links between the two countries' missile programmes, as analysts have widely alleged.

"We have always maintained that space can be used for peaceful purposes by adhering to international laws," said a foreign ministry spokesperson in Tehran. "As it is our right to do so, we maintain that others also have that right."

The foreign ministries of Taiwan, India and Spain said the launch could have a "destabilising" effect in the region, but India urged restraint in dealing with Pyongyang.

AFP

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